Handling The Three-Regional Floods In Central Java, PUPR Starting Auction For The Wulan River Normalization Project IDR 1.4 Trillion

Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadjimuljono directly inspected the location of the flood that inundated several areas in Central Java. (Photo: Doc. Ministry of PUPR)

JAKARTA - Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono directly inspected the flood locations that inundated several areas in Kudus, Jepara, and Pati, Central Java, on Thursday, January 12.

Basuki said the first program prepared for flood management in Kudus was to increase the capacity of the Drainage Pump House that entered the Wulan river.

"We will increase the pump capacity 10 times from 500 liters/second to 4,500 or 5,000 liters/second to deal with flooding in an area of about 9 km2. The work will begin and also be completed this year, without expanding the existing pump houses, so there is no need for land acquisition," he said in a press release, quoted on Friday, January 13.

Furthermore, said Basuki, this year the 47 km normalization work of the Wulan River will begin soon.

"We have programed the normalization of the Wulan River. This is just an auction/tender process with an estimated budget requirement of IDR 1.4 trillion with an estimated completion of the work for two years," he said.

In addition to the Wulan River, Basuki continued, his party will also complete the normalization of Serang Wulan Drainage 1 (SWD 1) and the Serang Wulan Drainage 2 River (SWD 2) which are flood control systems in Dorang Village, Nalumsari District, Jepara Regency, because they are no longer functioning optimally.

"For SWD 1, it has been handled for 10 km out of a total of 32 km. For SWD 2, it has been handled seven km out of a total of 23 km and this year it will be completed," he said.

"Among SWDs 1 and 2 will also be equipped with a collector of drainage or a channel that functions as a debt collector from smaller waterways, as well as activating a dead river channel connecting SWDs 1 and 2. In addition, a pump-enhanced floodgate will be created as well," he added.

Furthermore, for the handling of the floods of Kudus and Pati, said Basuki, his party will optimize the Wilalung Water Gate which was built during the Dutch colonial era.

"This floodgate regulates the distribution of Serang River flows towards the Juwana River in Pati Regency and Wulan River. In the past, Juwana was a swamp area for waste of water (retarding bases), so from 11 floodgates, two led to the Wulan River and the rest to Juwana. Now, we will close the one to Juwana because settlements have developed," he explained.

Meanwhile, for the handling at the Juwana River, Pati Regency, Basuki said that his party was completing the normalization of the Juwana River and river embankments of up to 10 km, including the Karet Dam with a volume of 4.6 million m3 being worked on.

"We will also open the mouth of the Juwana River and rearrange it because many boats are leaning, thus hampering the flow of the Juana River," he added.

Meanwhile, Head of the Pemali River Basin Center (BBWS), Juana Muhammad Adek Rizaldi, said that the normalization of the Wulan River would use the loan funds for The Asian Development Bank (ADB).

"Currently, we are preparing for an ADB loan through the Flood Management And Coastal Protection Project Program," he said.